Shoe bag having a structure that receives a handle from a separate item

ABSTRACT

A shoe bag is provided having a body and a flap that is attached to the body. An opening is provided in the flap to receive a handle of a separate carrying item. Thus, the handle of the separate carrying item may be employed to transport both the separate carrying item and the shoe bag.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Nos. 60/739,016, filed Nov. 23, 2005, and 60/759,572, filed Jan. 18, 2006, the contents of both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a shoe bag for transporting shoes. More particularly, the invention is directed to a shoe bag for transporting shoes, wherein the shoe bag includes a structure for receiving a handle, strap or other carrying device from a separate item, such as a briefcase.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, business shoes and other fashionable shoes are considered less comfortable to walk in than casual shoes and/or exercise shoes. As a result, many people wear comfortable shoes while commuting to and/or from work and carry their business shoes in a bag for use only at the office. For example, many urban commuters prefer to wear comfortable shoes to walk several blocks, ride public transportation, and/or otherwise participate in physical activity while commuting.

Additionally, many business and/or other fashionable shoes are less rugged and more expensive than casual shoes. As a result, there are financial benefits to wearing casual shoes in a harsher commuting environment and wearing business shoes in an office environment.

Wearing more than one pair of shoes during a day, however, introduces inconveniences such as requiring commuters to carry a shoe bag, in addition to carrying other items, including a briefcase, a lunch bag, and/or other items. Furthermore, over time, transporting shoes in a bag tends to introduce dirt, discoloration, and/or otherwise deteriorate the clean appearance of the shoe bag.

Therefore, a need exists to provide an improved shoe bag. The improved shoe bag should facilitate the carrying of a plurality of carrying items and/or enable easy cleaning of the shoe bag, among providing other benefits.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Various aspects of the invention overcome at least some of these and other drawbacks of existing carrying items. According to one embodiment, the invention provides an improved shoe bag having a structure for receiving a handle, strap or other carrying device from a separate carrying item, such as a briefcase, a purse, and/or other carrying item. According to one embodiment, the invention provides an improved shoe bag having a closing flap with an opening therein, such as a slit or other opening, for receiving a handle, strap or other carrying device from a separate carrying item, such as a briefcase, a purse, and/or other carrying item.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the shoe bag may include a closing cover having an opening defined therein. According to one embodiment, the shoe bag may be fitted over another carrying item to receive a handle from the other carrying item through the opening in the closing cover. According to one embodiment, the closing cover may be secured to the handle of the other carrying item. Thus, the handle of the other carrying item may be employed to transport both the other carrying item and the shoe bag.

The invention provides numerous advantages over and avoids many drawbacks of prior shoe carrying devices. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent through the detailed description of the embodiments and the drawings attached hereto. It is also to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and not restrictive of the scope of the invention. Numerous other objects, features, and advantages of the invention should now become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, a brief description of which is included below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view perspective of a shoe bag according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate views of inserts for use in a shoe bag according to embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 3 illustrates a back view perspective of a shoe bag according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the shoe bag in combination with a briefcase having a handle that protrudes through the shoe bag and the shoe bag tongue being in an unlatched position according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the shoe bag in combination with a briefcase having a handle that protrudes through the shoe bag and the shoe bag tongue being in a latched position according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While specific embodiments of the invention are discussed herein and are illustrated in the drawings appended hereto, the invention encompasses a broader spectrum than the specific subject matter described and illustrated. As would be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the embodiments described herein provide but a few examples of the broad scope of the invention. There is no intention to limit the scope of the invention only to the embodiments described.

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a shoe bag 10 for storing and/or transporting shoes. According to one embodiment, the shoe bag 10 may be defined by various portions including a body 12, a closing cover or flap 14, a tongue 16 and/or other portions. According to one embodiment of the invention, the body 12 defines a cavity for receiving inserts therein.

FIG. 2A illustrates one embodiment of the invention having separate inserts 31 and 33 that include respective openings 34 and 35 for receiving a pair of shoes therein (not shown). Openings 34 and 35 may be provided to accommodate various types of shoes, including high heels, flat shoes, sneakers, and/or other types of shoes.

FIG. 2B illustrates an embodiment of the invention having a single insert 36 that includes respective openings 37 and 38 for receiving shoes therein (not shown). According to one embodiment, insert 36 may include stitching 39 to define the openings 37 and 38. Openings 37 and 38 may be provided to accommodate various types of shoes, including high heels, flat shoes, sneakers, and/or other types of shoes.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the inserts 31, 33, and/or 36 may be removable from the shoe bag 10. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the inserts 31, 33, and/or 36 may be permanently affixed inside the shoe bag 10. According to one embodiment of the invention, the inserts 31, 33, and/or 36 may fill the entire cavity of body 12. According to one embodiment of the invention, the inserts 31, 33, and/or 36 may fill less than the entire cavity of body 12 so that cavity 12 may be designed to hold additional items therein.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the shoe bag 10 and/or the inserts 31, 33, 36 may be made of various materials such as nylon, plastic, cotton, polyester, and/or other materials. Additionally, the shoe bag 10 and/or the inserts 31, 33, 36 may have one or more mesh portions to allow air to circulate around shoes inserted therein to prevent a musty odor from building up in the shoe bag 10 and/or the inserts 31, 33, 36. According to one embodiment, removal of the inserts 31, 33 and/or 36 from the body 12 of the shoe bag 10 enables the inserts 31, 33 and/or 36 to be washed or cleaned separately from the other portions of the shoe bag 10.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the closing cover or flap 14 may be provided to cover or expose the cavity opening defined in the body 12. According to one embodiment, the closing cover or flap 14 may be moved to expose the cavity opening in body 12 to allow entry or removal of shoes (or inserts) from the body 12.

According to one embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the closing cover or flap 14 may include a tongue 16 for securing the closing cover or flap 14 to the body 12. According to one embodiment of the invention, the securing mechanism 26 may include a magnetic lock, a button, velcro, a hook and loop device and/or other securing mechanism. According to one embodiment of the invention, a strap 25 may be provided for carrying the shoe bag 10. According to one embodiment of the invention, a pouch 22 may be provided to store the strap 25 when the strap is not being used. According to one embodiment, the pouch 22 may include a closing device 24, such as a zipper or other closing device. According to one embodiment of the invention, the shoe bag 10 may include a slit or opening 20 that is provided in the closing cover or flap 14. According to one embodiment of the invention, slit 20 may be located on the closing cover 14 in an area that is proximate to an attaching portion 42 that attaches with the body 12. According to one embodiment of the invention, slit 20 may be located on the closing cover 14 in a central portion 43 that is between the attaching portion 42 and an opposite free end 44. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the slit 20 may be located at various places throughout the shoe bag 10.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment where the shoe bag 10 may fitted over another carrying item, such as a briefcase 40, to receive a handle 41 of the briefcase 40 through the slit 20. In other words, the handle 41 of the briefcase 40 may project through the slit 20 of the shoe bag 10 to enable the shoe bag 10 to be transported along with the briefcase 40. As a result, the invention enables a user to more efficiently carry multiple items, such as a briefcase 40 and shoe bag 10, by allowing the handle 41 of the briefcase 40 to act as a handle for the shoe bag 10. According to one embodiment of the invention, slit 20 may include a closing device, such as a zipper or other closing device, for closing the slit 20 when not is use.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein the tongue 16 may be used to secure the shoe bag 10 to the handle 41 of the briefcase 40 when a user releases the handle 41. According to one embodiment of the invention, the securing mechanism 26 may be provided to maintain engagement between the tongue 16, which passes through the handle 41, and the shoe bag 10.

While preferred forms of the invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made that will achieve some of the advantages of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention will be determined solely by claims that will be added. 

1. A shoe bag comprising: a body having a cavity defined therein; a flap that is attached at one end to the body; an insert that is configured to reside in the cavity; and an opening that is provided in the flap, the opening being configured to receive a handle from a separate carrying item.
 2. The shoe bag according to claim 1, wherein the flap includes a securing mechanism to mechanically secure the flap to the body.
 3. The shoe bag according to claim 2, wherein the securing mechanism includes a magnetic lock, a button, velcro or a hook and loop device.
 4. The shoe bag according to claim 1, wherein the flap includes a tongue.
 5. The shoe bag according to claim 4, wherein the tongue is configured to engage the handle of the separate carrying item.
 6. The shoe bag according to claim 5, wherein the tongue includes a securing mechanism to mechanically secure the tongue to the body.
 7. The shoe bag according to claim 6, wherein the securing mechanism includes a magnetic lock, a button, velcro or a hook and loop device.
 8. The shoe bag according to claim 4, wherein the tongue is configured to pass through the opening that is provided in the flap.
 9. The shoe bag according to claim 1, further comprising: a strap that is coupled to the body; and a pouch that is coupled to the body, wherein the pouch receives the strap.
 10. The shoe bag according to claim 9, wherein the pouch includes a closing device.
 11. The shoe bag according to claim 1, wherein the insert includes separate portions for receiving plural articles.
 12. The shoe bag according to claim 1, wherein the insert includes a single removable insert.
 13. The shoe bag according to claim 1, wherein the insert includes at least two removable inserts.
 14. A shoe bag comprising: a body having a cavity defined therein; a flap that is attached at one end to the body; a tongue that is coupled to the flap; a removable insert that is configured to reside in the cavity; and an opening that is provided in the flap, the opening being configured to receive a handle from a separate carrying item, wherein the tongue is adapted to pass through the opening.
 15. The shoe bag according to claim 14, wherein the tongue includes a securing mechanism to mechanically secure the tongue to the body.
 16. The shoe bag according to claim 15, wherein the securing mechanism includes a magnetic lock, a button, velcro or a hook and loop device.
 17. The shoe bag according to claim 14, wherein the tongue is configured to engage the handle of the separate carrying item.
 18. The shoe bag according to claim 14, wherein the removable insert includes two separate removable inserts.
 19. The shoe bag according to claim 14, wherein the removable insert includes a single removable insert.
 20. The shoe bag according to claim 14, wherein the body includes a compartment for carrying personal items. 